Bridging STEM Gaps with STEMconnector CEO Jo Webber

In our latest episode, Brian and MIND’s Social Impact EVP and Executive Director Karin Wu are joined by Dr. Jo Webber, STEMconnector CEO and President, and the Founder and CEO of Pod. Jo and Karin discuss diversity gaps in STEM, as well as how collaborative action can impact STEM education and provide equitable opportunities for future STEM careers. Jo shares some of her journey with us, including her mathematical roots and love of ST Math. She and Karin talk about the importance of mentorship, the Million Women Mentors (MWM) initiative, and the recent MWM summit. Jo also shares her vision for STEMconnector and how the organization works with partners to build, attract, and retain a sustainably diverse STEM workforce. Topics Covered in the Podcast: 0:45 Intro 3:00 STEMconnector’s work and building an equitable future 7:30 Jo’s journey and mathematical roots 11:30 Visualizing math through software 15:00 Million Women Mentors and representation in STEM 24:00 STEMconnector’s new platform for connecting the STEM workforce 27:30 STEMconnector’s research 30:00 Preparing today’s students for jobs that don’t exist yet 35:00 Opportunities to close experience gaps in STEM education and mentorship 38:00 Helping students see the possibilities in STEM STEMconnector's Annual Summit is coming up on December 8, 2021. The theme of this year's event is broadening participation across underrepresented groups in STEM and the importance of doing so for addressing the current and future STEM talent crisis. You can learn more about the event and register here: https://2021-stemconnector-annual-summit.heysummit.com/ Thanks for listening to the show! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Play, Spreaker or wherever you are listening, as it helps others find us.